Little Falls transcript., 1887-06-03
True Hospitality

The announcement Of the coming Of
a visitor into the family for few days
or weeks as the case may be, is gener-
ally followed By . great deal Of worri-
ment and anxiety on the part of the
housekeeper, for fear every thing win
win not be right. She must 60 all over
the house with broom and duster in
hand, to be sure everything is clean
and nice for the coming guest. Even
the attic, used only as a receptacle for
discarded furniture and clothes, must
be visited and put to rights. Why she
should think the guest would want to
rummage in this place, or poke into
store closets, which they never do, is q
strange idea, but it does appear as
though that is her thought, or why does
she go into every hole and corner,
afraid something would be left undone.
Should the expected visitor be slight
acquaintance, never having been her
guest before, to be sure it is but atur-
al she should be little nervous about
his or her coming, and like that her
home should make good impression
on him.
But when the coming guest is an old
friend or acquaintance, it does seem alb
surd that she should go through the
same routine as for an almost entire
stranger, yet that is exactly what she
does, giving the impression that the
person expected is coming with the ex-
press purpose of picking out any mis-
takes that she has made in her house.
keeping.
She is so tired out from work and
worry that when the guest does arrive
she is not prepared to greet her as
cordially as she should, and her well
come is forced and strained. The visi-
tor, if she is a sensitive person, quickly
notices the lack of warmth, that ele-
ment which is The pulse of hearty
greeting, and wonders could she have
made a mistake in coming. The guest,
though an old friend is shown to her
room with as much ceremony as though
she were a stranger, and the busy
housekecper excuses herself and hur-
ries 10 the kitchen to see that dinner
or tea. whichever it may be, is served
en- time. The best silver and china
must be used at every meal, and the
rarest viands that the hostess can af-
ford are OH the table. The visitor,
who has looked forward to having the
company of ner friend, for months. ex-
pecting TO be treated as one of the
family. feels out of place as an honor
ed guest, and at the close of her stay
leaves with a keen feeling that her
visit has been a failure both to her
hostess and herself. She would have
preferred, had she the choice, more Of
her friends company and less OF her
china and delicacies.
1t is q grave mistake to treat friends
in such way, though it is done with
the best intentions. True hospitality
in relation to guests consists in making
them feel thoroughly at home, and for
this end only should the housekeeper
work. No person can feel at home in
the house of Il friend who feels that his
or her stay is the source of anxiety and
worriment to any of the family visited,
and If of a suceptible nature he will as
saredly close his visit as soon as pos
sible.
DO not make strangers of friends
Let them enter into the home life. 1t
will be less care and worry for the
housekeeper and more enjoyable to the
guest Should the visitor be q woman,
aud you do not keep hired help, let her
assist you, in the housework if she SO
desires, and she will be better pleased
than it you provided the finest enter
tainment which you could for her. A
woman is never so much at home as
when she is doing housework. and you
will be surprised to see how quickly
your guest merges into a member of
the family when assisting you in your
labors. When she departs she will take
with her, and, paradoxical as it may
seem, leave behind, the remembrance
of homelike, enjoyable visit. -Anaers-
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